But she called for what many said was now a Disunited Kingdom to accept the result and join forces to make it work.

Ms Stuart spoke as the national result was declared.

Gisela Stuart speaks to the press ahead of the announcement of the national result of the EU Referendum.

She said: “It is incumbent on all of us to be very calm and remember our responsibility for the future of the United Kingdom, and work together to start a process, because this is simply the beginning of the process of initiating leaving the European Union.

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“It is now the responsibility for us as politicians to act in the best interest of the nation. Calm down, take cool steps, but that process in place.”

She added: “In the long run we will find that both Europe and the United Kingdom will emerge stronger as a result.”

Asked by the BBC why she gave part of her speech in German, she said: “It was very important we make it clear the United Kingdon is an open and outward looking nation and it will continue to be open and outward looking.

“We will continue to work with our European partners, it is simply the democratic governance structure we have rejected.”

And she dismissed the collapse in the stock markets as hysteria and said it would settle down.